Gallery supports vital work

The presentation took place at the Niche Galley, in the Old Bath House Art Centre, in Broomhill as a culmination of the Coquet Road, an exhibition featuring Coquet Island Nature Sanctuary and the roseate tern.

The cheque was received on behalf of the RSPB by Paul Morrison, Coquet Island site manager.

He said: “The roseate tern is Britain’s rarest nesting seabird and Coquet Island is home to the sole UK colony.

“It is very important to highlight the need to protect and provide habitat for this globally declining species so I was delighted when Paul and Katie approached me to propose an exhibition to feature this elegant and rare bird.

“Paul Henery was granted permission to spend a few days on Coquet as an artist in residence to capture on canvas the behaviour of these elusive birds and their association with the other nesting seabirds, such as puffins, that share the island during the summer months.”

The exhibition was supported by the EU LIFE Roseate Tern Project, a five-year programme to support the effort to enhance and promote the conservation of the roseate tern in the UK and Ireland and to prepare an action plan to safeguard its future.

Katie said: “We have always had a close association with wildlife and conservation, and expressing this through our artwork is an important part of our practice.

“Coquet Island, being a true sanctuary for safeguarding seabirds, was a natural choice as a focus for our inaugural exhibition at Niche Gallery, given its proximity to the gallery and international significance.”